By Talia Zimmerman
My name is Talia Zimmerman, and I have autism. It’s the kind of autism where I cannot speak. Spelling to Communicate (S2C) has been a positive and successful method for so many who are like me. It would be an understatement to say spelling changed my life. It saved me. I am sure it is difficult for people to understand, but not having a voice was torture, and now I have one.
With my voice through spelling, I get to experience even more with my family and friends. I have gotten to travel to Canada and Switzerland because I chose to. I love going to baseball and basketball games and spending time with my friends in our spelling community. The best part is I have the choice and I am having the time of my life.
I know that many people could benefit from it. Unfortunately, only a very small percentage of our population knows about it; but we are strong advocates and will continue to spread the word. Spelling has helped both my family and me.
I am eternally grateful that my parents brought me to Access S2C (accesss2c.com), which is my local spelling center. Growing up, my life was happy and full of love because I have the best parents and sister. I don’t feel as though I missed out on much because my family included me. They have crafted a beautiful community that has allowed me to build lifelong friendships and be part of endless opportunities.
I’ve been able to share my story, as well as my typing skills, at multiple events alongside my other friends who use the method. Advocating is what I need to do.
My advice: Don’t give up. There is hope. There are people in this world who believe in you. I also want to encourage anyone who is reading this to give your nonspeaker a chance with S2C. It is absolutely worth it.
Talia Zimmerman, 26, is autistic and nonspeaking. She learned how to communicate by typing and spelling out her thoughts. The method is called spelling to communicate.